Exclusive: The political arm of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus is seeking to assert its power by endorsing in a string of competitive House Democratic primaries.
From deep-blue safe seats to some of the most competitive districts in the country, ASPIRE PAC is backing a slate of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander candidates.
The group, chaired by Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), is hoping to build on the success of last cycle, when Democratic Reps. Derek Tran (Calif.) and Dave Min (Calif.) won competitive races.
“Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders represent over 25 million Americans, making us the fastest-growing voting bloc in the country,” Strickland told us. “This slate of candidates shows that our community is not a monolith and deserves early and consistent engagement.”
Here are the candidates ASPIRE PAC is endorsing:
Amish Shah in Arizona’s 1st District: Shah, an emergency room physician and the party’s 2024 candidate, lost last November to Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) by four points. Democrats are again targeting Schweikert’s seat in the midterms, as the suburban Phoenix seat has shifted away from Republicans in recent cycles.
Shah will have tough competition in the primary, with 2024 hopeful Marlene Galán-Woods mounting another run.
Deja Foxx in Arizona’s 7th District: Foxx is running to succeed the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) in one of Arizona’s most Democratic districts. Foxx, 25, worked on former Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign. She’s a distinct underdog against Grijalva’s daughter, Adelita Grijalva, who has secured the endorsements of both of the state’s Democratic senators.
State Rep. Daniel Hernandez is also running in the special election primary.
Esther Kim Varet in California’s 40th District: Kim Varet was one of the few Democratic challengers to raise over $1 million in the first quarter of 2024. Kim Varet is an art gallery owner vying to knock off Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), who handily beat her Democratic challenger last cycle.
Anuj Dixit in California’s 41st District: After Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) beat back challenges from Democrat Will Rollins in successive cycles, Democrats are ready to turn to new candidates in the bid to unseat Calvert. Dixit is a local lawyer who grew up on March Air Force Base in Riverside County.
Sanjyot Dunung in Illinois’ 8th District: Dunung is a small business owner aiming to fill Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s (D-Ill.) House seat, which the incumbent is vacating due to his Senate run.
Eric Chung in Michigan’s 10th District: The seat, currently represented by Rep. John James (R-Mich.), will be a battleground now that James is running for governor. Chung is a former Commerce Department official and Hill staffer.
Tim Greimel, former mayor of Pontiac, Mich., and former prosecutor Christina Hines are also in the Democratic primary.
